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A category review in 30 minutes

Facts, not feelings. One ranked list settles most of it.

1 min readFreeUpdated Nov 12, 2026

A category review does not need a day. It needs one list, the same list every time, and the willingness to act on the bottom of it.

1

The list

Rank every item in the category by gross margin dollars per facing per week, after the shrink it caused. Flag the bottom 10 percent for review.

2

Thirty minutes

Five minutes: the top. What is carrying the category? Does it have enough space? Is it ever out of stock?

Ten minutes: the bottom. Each flagged item gets one of three answers: it has a written reason to stay, it gets a fix with a date, or it exits.

Five minutes: trials. Which items are in their trial window, and are they on track for their target?

Five minutes: gaps. What are customers asking for that is not here? What is trending in this category that deserves a test?

Five minutes: decisions. Write down what leaves, what arrives, what moves, and who owns each.

3

What makes it work

  • The same measure every time, so nobody argues about the measure.
  • A name next to every decision.
  • Brands told their numbers before the review, not after.
4

What to watch for

A review that never removes anything is not a review. And a buyer defending an item because they like it is telling you about the buyer, not the item.

5

Do this

Run the ranking for one category this week and hold the thirty minutes. Do not try to fix the whole store at once.

IN PRACTICE

Applied to this season's trends

Fiber frenzy and protein + fiberFiber frenzy and protein + fiberRealThe buyer takeTest a small assortment within an existing category and track sales and margin dollars per facing against comparable products.Clean proteinClean proteinRealThe buyer takeTest a meat stick from Chomps or The New Primal, both marked Scaling, alongside your current best seller at a comparable price.Terroir's new territoryTerroir's new territoryRealThe buyer takeTest a small regional assortment within an established category, supported by tastings and shelf cards that translate provenance into flavor and use.Functional beveragesFunctional beveragesRealThe buyer takeManage functional beverages as a mature category rather than giving every new claim shelf space.
Next · 14 of 15 · 1 minMargin dollars per facingThe number that settles the argument about what deserves its space.

Adapted from The Truth Behind Premium Grocery by Michael Penner (2027). Figures are modeled. ← Demos worth the floor space